The present invention generally relates to plumbing pipe supports, and more particularly to addressing problems associated with supporting and securing piping, preferably so that the piping has a desired orientation (e.g., perpendicular) to a structure as the piping passes through a hole in the structure and so that the piping remains at the desired orientation. The invention finds particular application to pipe stubs that supply water to plumbing fixtures above a floor, for example, of a type commonly found in residential and commercial buildings.
Water pipe stubs (also referred to as water supply stubs, stub downs, stub ups, stub outs, floor stubs, etc.), hereinafter referred to as pipe stub(s) or simply stub(s), are commonly found in buildings, for example, in houses, hotels, etc. Pipe stubs exist in a range of sizes (diameters), for example, about 0.5 to 6 inches (about 1 to 15 cm), and may be formed of various materials, for example, copper, PEX, and CPVC. When installed to supply water to plumbing fixtures above a floor, pipe stubs are typically required to have lengths sufficient to extend from the plumbing fixture or plumbing fixture stop valve above the floor to a joist space below the floor and to further allow the portion of the stub below the floor to be “worked,” in other words, bent and/or attached to another pipe, for example, to make a horizontal run. As nonlimiting examples, common lengths for stubs are about six inches (about 15 cm) to about three feet (about one meter). If a stub is to be installed down through the floor, a clamp or bracket is often used to hold the stub. However, as soon as the stub is dropped into a hole to connect to piping below, the stub will often either free fall through the hole to the level below or become misaligned relative to the floor as a result of off-axis (i.e., transverse) forces applied when working the stub below the floor.
Various approaches have been employed during construction to address the problem described above, including the use of straps and pipe suspension clamps specifically adapted to secure a pipe passing through a joist or floor, for example, “mickey mouse” hangers, J-hooks, etc. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,010,889 and 7,784,234 relate to clamping and supporting pipes and U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,076 discloses a clamp adapted to hold a pipe and insulate that pipe as it passes through a steel stud.